I watched last night's finale of The Office today. Um, OMGSQUEE! You know, I always enjoyed the show before, but I'm afraid I may be hooked now. austin360, I think we need to add another show to the crack to-do list.

For the two-and-a-half of you on my flist who actually watch this show, here's a sweet ficlet:

It's not exactly the same because one is meant to be more of a cliffhanger. But it's somewhat along the same lines.

I was all prepared to hate the American Office, given our track record with adapting terrific Brit shows (don't even talk to me about Coupling). But it's really grown on me the more I've watched. It's very similar to the original, yet forges enough new territory in a uniquely American voice that I find there's a lot to be gotten out of it. And I find Steve Carell to be just as painful in his own way as Ricky Gervais was.

So I'm off to Houston, then! I could spend a weekend with my grandparents, then come hang out with you. Lemme know what your schedule looks like. I'll be traveling the week of my birthday, but after that, I'm good until Burbank in mid-July.

The Thursday night NBC block of Earl and The Office is some of my favorite stuff on TV because it's not only side-splittingly funny, it's surprisingly moving. When Pam held up the umbrella, I tried to laugh but burst into tears instead. They win. All in!

"I don't wanna babysit! The black one bites and the white one calls me Stupid Giant."

"Lucky for me, Dizzy Hulk has poor aim and a bad throwing arm."

Definitely in my top three with the Y2K episode and the Right Choice Ranch. Oh, wait, Joy's Wedding! Dang, there's just too much to love.

The Pam-Jim/Dawn-Tim relationship on both versions of The Office is so addictive because you're not just rooting for them to get together, you're heartbroken because she's making such a tragic mistake with her loathsome fiance.

Dizzy Hulk was my favorite, too! "It was just a moth." "How was it?" "Dry." I adore them, because they're not just hilarious and inappropriate (Patty. The Daytime. Hooker.), but heartwarming in a non-sugary way as well. I think that's why the Right Choice Ranch one is my favorites from among many great eps--not only do you get "Randy's also afraid of the Pope's hat, but I think that's mostly because he thinks there might be a chicken under it" *and* "Why don't you just forgive him? That's what we learned at the ranch--when you love someone and they say they're sorry, you forgive them." Ouch. And magic. Although Joy's Wedding does kill me...

The Office: not only is her potential mistake with Wrong!Fiance so painful, the triangle seems so realistic--they're not apart because his mom told him she's her sister or one of them has the bird flu or she has to marry someone else to get an inheritance--they're apart because it's hard to get relationships right. Again, that mix of the ridiculous with the sublime.

Oh my goodness you wrote an Office ficlet. As soon as my parents leave I'm going to read this. I love this show and got Miss Mandy hooked so that she called me after she had seen it on the East Coast all a quiver and I still had to wait 2 hours! She's mean that one . ;)